LouHomey From my favorite movies..

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

classicsoncall I have a tendency to watch films like this from a certain distance and on a different level than I think the casual viewer would. That's because I have two adult children who have struggled with mental illness, one more severely than the other. Both are functional now but one always wonders how or when a future tipping point might occur. With that first hand perspective, I didn't get a clear sense that Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson) was all that sick - "because you know, ..., except for being a little mentally ill, she's pretty normal." That was Sam's (Johnny Depp) analysis, and I think he got it right. There were only a couple of episodes where Joon acted out abnormally - the one time she got angry with Benny (Aidan Quinn) over Sam, and later on with Sam on the bus. But on both occasions, one could understand how a 'normal' person might react the same way.So with that said, I saw this more as an eccentric little love story, with maybe Sam being the challenged character more so than Joon. I mean seriously, Benny won (lost?) him in a card game, when have you ever heard of that happening? It's Sam who helps the viewer understand the point of view that eccentricity and being a little 'off' isn't always such a bad thing and that maybe there's a little room for a quirky character in everyone's life.So maybe it's not a great movie, but you'll probably remember "Benny and Joon" a lot longer than the last action adventure you just watched. It doesn't need over the top chase scenes or mindless explosions to put it's message across, and you come out of the experience with a nice warm feeling that things just might work out if you apply a little love and understanding with the crazy.

Brigid O Sullivan (wisewebwoman) A lovely little film, beautifully made and depicting mental illness in all its complexities extraordinarily well. I.E. mentally ill people are NOT stupid.At times it is laugh out loud funny and the scenes with Johnny Depp in the park are magical.Aidan Quinn was brilliantly cast as the caretaking brother - a fully rounded character, now and again railing against the responsibility of taking care of his sister, Joon.The trauma of the parents' death was well done. This could have been significant in Joon's instability but thankfully, there were no 2 X 4's.Sam, channelling Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, is a delight.And Joon's studio - what a great room! A wonderful fun film. Would watch again.8 out of 10.

itamarscomix At the heart of 'Benny & Joon' is the story of Joon, a mentally ill young woman, and her older brother Benny, who takes constant care of her and, while complaining about how much that complicates his life, actually uses the obligation as an excuse for the fact that his own life is going nowhere. It's a story that's simple, realistic and painfully honest. It could have made for a touching little drama if only Chechik made a clean decision that that's what the film is about.Unfortunately, 'Benny & Joon's biggest asset is also its undoing, and that is the wonderful and charismatic performance of young Johnny Depp. Depp enters the scene almost halfway through as Joon's love interest, the mentally unbalanced but extremely charming Sam who chooses to model his personality (or lack thereof) on silent comedy stars Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Sam swoops Joon off her feet and disrupts the delicate balance of the siblings' relationship, which forces Benny to face up and decide whether he can let Joon go or not. Depp is terrific in his role; in one extended scene where he showcases his slapstick abilities he proves just how much of a screen personality he was and why he became one of the most bankable movie stars of the 90's. The problem is that he's so charismatic that he can easily fool the audience (and often does) that Sam is a romantic hero rather than a disruptive, chaotic presence; that this is the love story of Joon and Sam, rather than the story of Benny and his coming to terms with his own life decisions. What's worse, Depp's charisma emphasizes just how pale and unimpressive Aidan Quinn is in the role that should have been the lead.It's not a bad film; it's a pretty and touching little drama, wonderfully scripted. On the other hand, Depp's scenes are a pleasure to behold. But the contrast between the two is what ultimately makes it a failure. It doesn't help that Chechik can't quite make up his mind about how seriously he's taking Joon's mental illness, which is played for laughs a bit too often.

Diamondsofnigh The Food used in the diner sequences actually came from The Shack Restaurant, the production company could not afford the Shacks asking price (as this would interrupt the daily business and taking away $1000's of dollars from the business) for the use of the Restaurant so it opted for the Milk Bottle and Fergies, so the production people used food from the Shack and drove it to the other two diners. The other goof is the ambulance seen says Deer Park Ambulance which is about 30 miles away from downtown Spokane where the scene takes place. My husband was an extra on this film and also a stand-in for Oliver Platt and Waldo Larsen.